• Dr.Sreeja .P
• Aswini . P.V
• Dr.Chandramohanan. K.T

ABSTRACT Kerala supports many wetlands of International and National importance. These supports rich mangroves along the coastal zones . Kannur district of Kerala support about 14 speciesof true mangroves ,of which Avicennia officinalis was of maximum occurrence . Avicennia officinalis has a wide geographical distribution with wide numbers found in inter tidal estuaries along many of the worlds tropical and warm temperate coasts. Members of Avicennia have pneumatophores ,that project above the mud to facilitate gas exchange for the submerged primary root. The exposed part contain large number of small openings, exposed in air. The water inundated portion and freely exposed portion support rich amount of algae. The present study was carried out in the Kunjimangalam and Valapattanam wetlands of Kannur districts of Kerala during the period of November to March 2019. Quadrant of size 25x25cm2 where sampled at different locations of the selected two sites mentioned above randomly. The pneumatophores of Avicennia have been found to support a rich flora of algae and other micro organisms. 15 species of algae belongs to various classes isolated The biomass of algae on pneumatophores were entirely different in the two sites. The comparison of pneumatophore density at the two sites indicate that, Kunchimangalam region have favorable condition for the abundant growth of pneumatophore, supports high density of algae while compared to the most polluted Valapatanam site. This study signifies the role of mangroves in supporting rich biodiversity and the presence of algae also help to add the carbon sequestering power of mangroves.

Mangrove, Pneumatophore

"STUDY OF THE EPIPHYTIC ALGAE FROM PNEUMATOPHORES OF AVICENNIA OFFICINALIS L", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.7, Issue 3, page no.1-5, March-2020, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2003301.pdf

"STUDY OF THE EPIPHYTIC ALGAE FROM PNEUMATOPHORES OF AVICENNIA OFFICINALIS L", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.7, Issue 3, page no. pp1-5, March-2020, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2003301.pdf